Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/12/18
By: Chiu Chun-chin and Christie Chen

Photo courtesy of Taipei Customs

Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) A woman returning to Taiwan from a visit to China was fined NT$200,000 (US$6,490) on Tuesday after being caught bringing pork jerky into the country, according to Taipei Customs officers.

The 50-year-old woman was caught carrying 15 packs of pork jerky weighing a total of 200 grams in her luggage as she arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport from Fuzhou, officers said.

She became the first passenger to be fined NT$200,000 for smuggling meat products into Taiwan after the Council of Agriculture (COA) announced a day earlier higher fines for the offense to prevent African swine fever (ASF) from spreading inside the country.

The woman, a Taoyuan resident, spent around 20 Chinese yuan (US$2.90) to purchase the 15 packs of pork jerky in China while visiting relatives there.    [FULL  STORY]